Earth Science Word Search

Earth Science Word Search is a word search puzzle using glossary terms associated with the Earth Sciences. The Earth Sciences include the study of meteorology, geology, and astronomy.

The words can be found running left/right, up/down and diagonally within the array of letters. This activity can be a fun way to introduce many of the terms a student will encounter in an Earth Science class. Clicking the image will show a full-sized version of the puzzle optimized to fit on a single sheet of paper. Alternatively, a PDF version can be downloaded for better quality and easier printing.

If you enjoy science and science word searches, be sure to check out our collection of science word searches.

Earth Science Word Search Glossary Terms

alluvium – deposits formed by rivers and streamsanemometer – instrument used to measure wind speedapogee – point of an orbit where the orbiting body is furthest from the focal pointbiome – a large community of flora and fauna occupying a region or habitatclimate – long-term weather conditions for an areacolloid – homogeneous mixture consisting of very small particles dispersed in a secondary medium.condensation – phase change from gas to liquidcrystal – a solid with a definate and ordered arrangement of atomscyclone – a type of weather where winds rotate around a low pressure centerdelta – sediment deposits at the mouth of a stream or riverdeposition – process where sediments are placed on a surface layerdesert – a biome consisting of arid climate and little precipitationdewpoint – temperature where air is saturated with water vapordiurnal – dailyearthquake – sudden violent shaking of the Earth’s crusteccentricity – measure of an orbit’s deviation from a perfect circleepicenter – surface point directly above the origin of an earthquakeepoch – a large subdivision of time marked by notable eventsequator – imaginary parallel line drawn around a sphere equally distant from the top and bottom poles. On Earth, the line that divides the North and South Hemispheres.equinox – time when the Sun’s light strikes perpendicular to the Earth’s equatorerosion – removal of sediment by an external force such as wind, water, gravity or iceevaporation – phase change from liquid to gasfault – a crack in the Earth’s crustfossil – petrified organic remains encased in rock or the impression of organic remains in rocksfront – boundary between two different air massesgalaxy – ordered grouping of a large number of starsglacier – a slow moving mass of ice formed from the accumulation of ice and snowhurricane – a cyclone storm with wind speeds in excess of 74 mph or 114 kphigneous – rocks formed from the solidification of molten matterisobar – a line connecting equal readings of pressureisotherm – a line connecting equal readings of temperaturejetstream – a concentration of high winds found in the tropospherelava – molten material deposited on the surface of the Earthlight year – the distance light travels in one year (9.46 x 1012 km)magma – molten material beneath the Earth’s surfacemetamorphic – a type of rock where one type of rock is changed into another type by heat and/or pressuremoho – boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantlemonsoon – seasonal prevailing winds located in Southeast Asiaocean – a very large body of water dividing geographic regionsorbit – path drawn out by a satellite traveling around another bodyperigee – point of an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the focal pointplanet – largest bodies orbiting a starprecipitation – rainfall or the process where a substance settles out of a solutionsediment – matter removed from eroded materialseismograph – instrument used to detect and/or measure the strength of earthquakessolstice – time where the Sun’s rays are perpendicular to the Earth’s surface and furthest North or South.subduction – process where one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic platetornado – a localized vortex of rotating windstsunami – a large wave formed from the sudden movement caused by an earthquake, landslide or any other underwater disturbancewaning – description of the phases of the moon as the bright visible part passes from full moon to new moonwaxing – description of the phases of the moon as the bright visible part passes from new moon to full moon